1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic connectors, and more specifically to systems and methods for controlling power to a group of electronic connectors.
2. Background of the Related Art
Computer systems commonly include input/output (I/O) ports for interfacing with peripheral devices. A peripheral device physically interfaces with a system using a connector, having a structure which provides both mechanical and electrical connection. For example, a connector receptacle on a host device may mechanically receive a connector plug of a peripheral device. The mechanical connection brings electrical contacts on the receptacle into connection with corresponding electrical contacts in the plug. This electrical connection allows power and data communication between the system and the peripheral device.
Connectors for I/O ports often provide electrical power in combination with I/O signaling. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) connector on a host device may provide a single receptacle providing separate conductors for power and data communication. The USB receptacle on the host device receives a plug of a peripheral device, such as a plug on the end of a cable extending from the peripheral device. A Powered-USB connector, by comparison, includes separate power and data receptacles. The data receptacle may be a standard USB receptacle providing both data and low-power output, while the power receptacle may be a non-standard receptacle providing additional power. USB and Powered-USB are just two examples of the wide variety of I/O connectors known in the art.
A system-level power budget is typically assigned to a computer system, either by a system designer or according to regulations set by a standards body, or both. To meet the system-level power budget, each connector's power output is also limited. The power output of individual connectors may also be limited, irrespective of the system-level power budget. For example, a USB connector is generally limited to a specific power limit prescribed by regulations. The power limit is sufficient to power certain low-consumption devices, while many higher-power USB peripheral devices still require an external power supply. Powered-USB was developed, in part, to provide additional power to higher-consumption devices, such as point of sale (POS) devices. The additional power receptacle provides additional power to a peripheral device without the use of an external power supply. However, even Powered-USB connectors are limited by the system-level power budget and individual connector power limits prescribed by regulations. Retail and POS devices are required to comply with these limits.